Roller bearing assembly



April 1968 A. BAKER ETAL 3,377,112

ROLLER EEARING ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 18. 1960INVENTORS A.L. BAKER W.J.DREXLE F.I.ZENER ATTORNEY Allister L. Baker,Denville,

United States Patent Ofilice ROLLER BEARING ASSEMBLY William R. Krause,Secaucus, and William J. Drexler, Ridgefield, N.J., and Frederick IrvingZener, South Portland, Maine, assignors to Keutfel & Esser Company,Hoboken, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application July 18,1960, Ser. No. 43,642, now Patent No. 3,316,644, dated May 2, 1967.Divided and this application Oct. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 529,611

9 Claims. (Cl. 308-6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bearing structureparticularly useful for drafting machines for obtaining axial movementof a sleeve with respect to a rail while permitting rotation of thesleeve, including rollers of disc shape engaging the rail and extendingradially therefrom and being mounted in the sleeve by means of a collarhaving a groove therein which receives a horse shoe shaped springserving as the axle for the rollers with at least one roller beingresiliently mounted to maintain constant engagement and with the rollersspaced apart an angular distance less than 180 to provide for movementof the sleeve in all positions of the sleeve and of the rail.

The present invention relates to a bearing structure particularly usefulfor drafting machines and is a division of application Serial No.43,642, filed July 18, 1960, resulting in Patent No. 3,316,644 issuedMay 2, 1967.

Heretofore various types of bearings have been used to obtain telescopicadjustment of a sleeve with respect to a rail; but none have beenentirely satisfactory since they did not provide for support of the railintermediate its ends and did not provide for yieldable forces beingapplied to the rollers of the bearings to obtain satisfactory servicetherefrom.

An object of the present invention is to provide a roller assembly andmounting means for supporting a drafting machine on a drawing board toassure accurate rectilinear movement of line guiding elements tofacilitate the operation and improve the accuracy of drafting.

A further object is to provide a bearing construction making use ofrollers to accurately maintain axial alignment of a sleeve moving alonga circular rail.

Other and further objects will be apparent as the description proceedsand upon reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear view of the horizontally movable first carriage on thesame enlarged scale showing the C-shaped sleeve with the rollersupporting members at each end engaging the horizontal first rail andshowing the horizontal motion lock operating linkage including leveroperating mechanism for the lock which provides for clearance of theline guiding means in the plane of the drawing.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on broken line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1 showing thehorizontal motion lock and alignment adjusting means.

FIG. 3 is a detail section taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1showing the roller assembly at one end of the C-shaped sleeve.

FIG. 4 is an axial section as seen from the rear through one end of theC-shaped sleeve and one C-shaped roller assembly and substantially inthe plane of the spring pressed roller and taken substantially on line4-4 of FIGURE 3 showing the cooperation of the roller assembly with thehorizontal supporting rail.

Briefly the present invention includes a bearing struc- 3,3 77,1 12Patented Apr. 9, 1968 ture for use on the horizontal and vertical railsof a drafting machine and includes a sleeve having ring-like bearingsupports with at least three disc-like rollers mounted in the ring-likebearing supports to provide for axial movement of the bearing along arail to maintain accurate angular relation between carriages mounted onthe bearings and the associated rail.

The ends of the tubular sleeve 23A are provided with rabbets 23D whichreceive roller supporting C-shaped ring-like elements 24 which are alsoprovided with a cooperating rabbet 24A which telescopes into the rabbet23D and such ring is retained in position by unsymmetrically positionedand different size retaining screws 24B and 24C which pass throughopenings in the rabbeted end portion of the sleeve 23A and are threadedinto tapped openings in the ring 24. The C-shaped ring 24 is providedwith a circumferential groove 24D intermediate its inner and outerperipheries which receives a C-shaped springlike ring 24E which is"biased in a direction to tightly grip the inner flange 24F defining thegroove 24D. A plurality of radially extending slots 24G, 24H, 24I areprovided in the ring 24 and communicate with the circumferential groove24D and rollers 246R, 24HR, and 241R are positioned in such slots andare retained in such slots by the spring ring 2413 and such spring ringis retained in position on the ring 24 by Allen head screws 24], 24Klocated adjacent the pair of rollers 24HR and 241R so that the axes ofsuch rollers are maintained in a definite fixed relation at all timeswhile the roller 24G may move radially against the bias of the C-shapedring spring 24E thereby assuring a uniform pressure contact of therollers with the horizontal rail 20 and since a roller assembly isprovided at each end of the C-shaped sleeve the carriage 23 isaccurately guided. It will be evident that the pair of rollers 24HR and241R are located along the upper side of the rail 20 when the draftingmachine is mounted on a vertically positioned drafting board. Eachroller includes an inner race supported on the axle formed by springring 24E and an outer race which engages the rail 20 which suitableantifraction bearings between such inner and outer races to assuresubstantially frictionless movement of the carriage along the rail 20.

It will be evident that the bearing arrangement used on the rail 20 isadaptable for use on the vertical rail of a drafting machine and thatthe bearing may rotate around the rail 20 when the rail supporting studsare out of the open space of the C-shaped sleeve on which the bearingassemblies are mounted so that a drafting head can be completely removedfrom a drafting table to provide a clear table top for any use desired.

It will be evident that various changes may be made within the scope ofthe invention as defined by the valid interpretation of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A roller assembly for longitudinal and rotatable movement about ashaft comprising a C-shaped body member having a circumferential slot inone side thereof between the inner and outer peripheries, three radialslots communicating with said circumferential groove and formed in saidmember with the space between any two adjacent slots being appreciablyless than a roller mounted in each slot and having a portion extendinginwardly beyond the inner periphery of the C-shaped member, a C-shapedroller retaining axle in said circumferential groove and passing throughthe axes of said rollers, said rollers being engageable with a rail ofcircular cross section whereby said roller assembly may movelongitudinally and may also rotate relative to said rail, the opening insaid C-shaped member providing for the passage of the roller assemblypast supporting struts for said rail whereby a rail of extremeindefinite length can be used and provide for straight line movement ofsaid roller assembly along said rail.

2. A carriage comprising a sleeve equipped with a roller assemblyaccording to claim 1 at each end with the openings in the sleeve and inthe C-shaped body member in the roller assembly being in substantialregistry whereby positive support of the carriage on a rail is providedand angular movement between the axis of the carriage and the axis ofthe supporting rail is prevented.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which the rollers are arrangedat 60 between two rollers and a third roller is 150 from each of saidtwo rollers, a mounting screw receiving aperture between provided at themidpoint between said two rollers, a mounting aperture being provided 50in each direction from said mid point, and a fourth mounting aperturebeing provided 15 from the opening adjacent the opening of the C-shapedmember, the third roller being in a plane substantially perpendicular toa plane including the axis of said roller assembly and the direction ofthe opening in the C-shaped member thereof.

4. A roller assembly for longitudinal and rotatable movement about arail comprising a member having a circumferential groove in one sidethereof between the inner and outer peripheries, at least three radialslots communicating with said circumferential groove and formed in saidmember with the space between any two adjacent slots being appreciablyless than 180 degrees, a roller mounted in each slot and having aportion extending inwardly beyond the inner periphery of the member, a

roller retaining axle in said circumferential groove passing through theaxes of said rollers, said rollers being engageable with a rail ofcircular cross section whereby said roller assembly may movelongitudinally and may also rotate relative to said rail.

5. The invention according to claim 4 in which the roller retaining axleis of horse shoe shape and of resilient material and is fixedly securedat two points adjacent one end fixing the axes of two of the rollers andthe third roller is mounted on the retaining axle adjacent the other endand is yieldably urged toward the rail on which the roller assembly ismounted.

6. A sleeve of appreciable length adapted to encompass a rail andadapted for longitudinal and rotatable movement relative to the rail, aroller assembly mounted adjacent each end of the sleeve, each rollerassembly comprising a member having a circumferential groove between theinner and outer peripheries, at least three radial slots communicatingwith said circumferential groove and formed insaid member with the spacebetween any two adjacent slots being appreciably less than 180 degrees,a roller mounted in each slot and having a portion extending inwardlybeyond the inner periphery of the member, a roller retaining axle insaid circumferential groove passing through the axes of said rollers,said rollers being adapted for engagement with the rail of circularcross section whereby said sleeve and roller assemblies may movelongitudinally and may also rotate relative to said rail.

7. The invention according to claim 6 in which at least one of therollers is yieldably urged in a direction toward the rail.

8. A roller assembly for longitudinal and rotatable movement about arail comprising a member for encompassing a rail, circumferential groovein said member between the inner and outer peripheries, at least threeradial slots communicating with said circumferential groove and formedin said member with the space between any two adjacent slots beingappreciably less than 180 degrees, a roller mounted in each slot andhaving a portion extending inwardly beyond the inner periphery of thememher, a roller retaining axle in said circumferential groove passingthrough the axes of said rollers, said rollers being engageable with arail of circular cross setcion whereby said roller assembly may movelongitudinally and may also rotate relative to said rail.

9. The invention according to claim 8 in which a ringlike element ispositioned in said circumferential groove and the rollers are rotatablymounted on said ring and means are provided to retain said ring inposition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,627,323 2/ 1953 Larson.2,628,135 2/1953 Magee 3086 2,903,307 9/1959 Peters et al. 3086 X2,983,553 5/1961 Dexter 3086 3,123,108 3/1964 Gaskell et al 3086 XFOREIGN PATENTS 1,031,490 3/1953 France.

845,675 8/ 1960 Great Britain.

CHARLES J. MYHRE, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT O. DUA, Examiner.

